


You're The Best (Of A Bad Situation)

by Aibohp



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Canon Disabled Character, Drabble Collection, Ed is a virgin, Ed is down an arm and leg, Ling is a cocky little shit, M/M, because he can't stop being smart long enough to get laid, ling is also a little perv, okay just hear me out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-11
Updated: 2018-02-11
Packaged: 2019-03-16 21:25:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13644741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aibohp/pseuds/Aibohp
Summary: Drabbles about a Xerxian Edward and how he ended up in an arranged marriage with Ling.





	1. Sun Child

**Author's Note:**

> So I built this whole arranged marriage AU for RP purposes but then couldn't entice anyone to actually RP with me and ended up writing a bunch of drabbles. And since there is precious few Ling/Ed fics I figured no one could really complain too much if they were bad because hey, at least it's something. 
> 
> Now just to go over a few things. In this, Hohenheim and Father are brothers and Xerxes royalty. Father tries to sacrifice Xerxes to make himself a philosopher's stone. Obviously he's stopped, but due to the fact that he did manage to kill a lot of people Xerxes finds itself needing to create stronger ties between either Xing or Amestris via marrying off our dear Edward.

Ling is surprised to find that he actually thinks the Xerxian prince is beautiful. Of course everyone knows about the stunning features that most Xerxes citizens possess. Travelers bring stories of the entrancing people that live in the desert with their golden eyes and hair. They tell about their oddly backwards society. Advanced as they are in philosophy and Alchemy they don’t have many of the technologies that Xing and Amestris have. The pumps that they need for running water were bought from Amestris. They don’t have guns, or cars, or even proper hospitals from what Ling has heard. 

Their major exports are primarily jewelry, medicinal elixirs, and fabrics with patterns that are so well embroidered that they put even the most talented seamstresses in Xing to shame. There have been lines of trade open between the three countries for decades, though trade between Xerxes and Amestris had stopped briefly during the Ishvalan War of Extermination. Infact Xerxes had taken in Ishvalan refugees who managed to make it that far out into the desert. If not for the unexpected treason from the Mad Prince of Xerxes they probably wouldn’t have officially reached out to either country. 

When they did both Amestris and Xing were eager to send candidates across the desert. Each of them wanted to unlock the secrets of alchemy for their own uses. It was no secret that Amestris primarily wanted the knowledge to put toward military use. Ling liked to think that his own country had a broader view but he doubted that they would keep Alchemy out of there military entirely, especially depending on who it was that managed to win Prince Edward’s favor. 

So, as Ling set out to the desert with Lan Fan and her grandfather, he had a single-minded mission. Win. Obtaining Edward’s hand in marriage would essentially assure his ascension to the throne and Ling trusted no one to rule his country as well as himself. Whether or not he actually liked the Xerxian prince would be irrelevant, so he had put little thought into what the Prince might be like or if he was handsome or not. 

When Ling arrives in Xerxes and caught his first glimpse of the Prince he wasn’t displeased to find he at least wouldn’t have to worry about the attractiveness of his future husband. And yes, he was already assuming that he would be the one that Edward chose to wed. 

Positive thinking was very important to success. 

The Xerxian Prince had been sitting on the edge of a fountain that sat in the center of the plaza. He was drawing on the side of the fountain with a piece of chalk, showing a group of children sitting at his heel what Ling assumed to be basic alchemic arrays. His hair had been pulled into a sloppy ponytail behind his left ear and he’d been dressed in simple brownish red clothes. A light, sleeveless tunic with loose pants that matched and a darker cloth that wrapped around his right side to hide the empty place that his arm should have been. The only thing that had tipped Ling off to the man’s status had been the golden circle of beads around his head. There was a red gem that hung from the center of it and rested just below the blonde’s hairline. 

Ling wondered if he had always been left handed or if he was ambidextrous. 

That was Ling’s first thought, the second was that the other Prince was beautiful. While nearly everyone in Xerxes had blonde hair none had shone quite as brightly as Prince Edward’s. It as like someone had managed to weave sunbeams into strands of hair and his eyes were like molten gold. Ling felt something clench in his gut as he wondered what it felt like to actually meet those eyes.

Now, he is sitting in the same place, only this time he is alone and the sun wasn’t there to make his hair glow. Instead he’s lit up by the floating candles in the fountain’s water and no less enchanting for the change in lighting. Before he had looked like the sun at the height of noon poured into a human form. In the light of the flames that lit the plaza he is more of a sunset. The light clothes reflected the orange form the firelight and the dark makeup smudged around his eyes made the gold of his irises stand out even more. Then there is the red stain on the Prince’s lips that keep Ling’s eyes gravitating to them when he isn’t actively looking at something else in the elaborate get up that the young man had been wrapped in. 

Despite the beautiful packaging, Ling thinks that Prince Edward had looked happier before, smiling pridefully down at the children when they successfully managed to transmute something. It’s a shame, no one so lovely should look so somber, especially not at their own party. Ling resolves to fix that. Squaring his shoulders he smiles and marches up to the Prince of Xerxes, then drops down beside him without so much as a hello. 

“You know, until now I never believed the stories I would hear when I was a child about how the first people of Xerxes were born,” he starts, relishing the look of shock that crossed Edward’s face. “Travelers would bring all sorts of stories to Xing about how the Sun had watched the Earth grow since the very beginning and fallen in love with it. In turn the Earth had always turned around the Sun, falling in love with its light and warmth. However they could never be together because the Sun would destroy the Earth if either got too close to the other.” Ling pauses there and frowns, studying Edward’s rather confused face for a moment before laughing and sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. “Well I can’t remember how it goes exactly but the Earth makes the first Xerxian people out of sand and the Sun brings them alive with a flame and that way the Sun can walk the earth? This all sounded much better in my head.” 

For a moment Prince Edward says nothing, simply stares at the young man, stunned. And then he laughs. The sound makes a rush of warmth cut through Ling’s chest and he smiles, watching as the blonde shakes with mirth. 

“What was that? That was terrible! Is that what passes for a pick up line in Xing,” the Prince asks once he got himself under control. His smile was even more brilliant up close and as Ling looks into his eyes he feels it get a little harder to breathe. “Who are you anyway?” 

“I am Ling Yao, 12th Crown Prince of Xing,” Ling replies with pride. The kohl around Edward’s eyes had run a little when he apparently teared up during his laughing fit. In a brazen move he lifts his hand and carefully rus the back of his finger under the Prince’s eye to wipe away the blurry tear tracks. “And as terrible as my story was it doesn’t diminish my point. It isn’t hard to believe you could be made of sunlight.” 

Edward, who had frozen in shock when Ling actually touched his face, jerks back, an attractive blush blooming across his cheeks. He looks away, flustered, and when he looks back again he is glaring at Ling. The Xingese Prince feel his heart speed up and sits up a little straighter. 

“Well you’re certainly bold. Though I can’t say I’m surprised with how you’re dressed,” Edward says, eyeing his clothes. Ling followed the young man’s glower and arches his brows in mock confusion. He had known exactly what he was doing when he chose the yellow and white ensemble to wear that night. 

A high collared, yellow tunic that buttoned down the front with white embroidery around the collar and tail, white pants had him standing out just about as much as the Xerxian Prince. That’s probably because only Edward is supposed to be wearing those colors. After all, yellow isn’t that far off from Gold. 

“What’s wrong with them,” Ling asks, the confusion in his voice false in his own ears.Prince Edward doesn’t seem to buy it either because he rolls his eyes. 

“I think you noticed no one else is dressed in colors even close to mine. Gold and white are colors for engaged couples and I don’t remember picking you to be my husband,” Edward explains blandly before motioning to Ling with his left hand. “So why are you dressed like we’re already set to be married?” 

“I like to think positive, show confidence and all that,” Ling answers with a cheeky smile that only broadens as he watches Edward’s mouth twitch in an effort not to smile. 

“I can already tell you are going to be supremely irritating,” Edward says, finally giving in and letting his lips curl into a smile. “Right now I’m not sure if I want to shove you in the fountain or not.” 

“Don’t worry, Prince Edward. You’ll learn to love me,” Ling chuckles, reaching out to take Edward’s hand. He just barely manages to brush his lips against the other man’s knuckles before the Prince snatches his hand away. 

When Ling looks up again Edward is blushing and glaring at him just like before. Embarrassed was a good look on the blonde Prince. Unfortunately, at least for Ling, Prince Alphonse takes that exact moment to show up with two cups of wine, one of which he passes to his brother. Edward seems thankful for the distraction but Ling is less pleased by the extra pair of eyes studying him now. 

“Who is this, brother,” the Prince asks curiously, his eyes never leaving Ling. His gaze is hard to read, not outright hostile but maybe wary, like he doesn’t know what to make of the foreign prince talking to his older brother. 

“A very annoying Xingese Prince,” Edward answers, for which Alphonse gave his brother a reprimanding smack on the back of the head. “What was that for!”

“Be more polite! We’ll never marry you off if you keep acting so rude,” Alphonse says before turning to Ling again. He still didn’t look particularly happy to see him. “Please excuse my brother.” 

“No need for any of that,” Ling says, quickly, rising to his feet once more. “I was the one who came to intrude on your brother after all,” he says to Prince Alphonse before turning to Edward and inclining his head. “It’s been lovely speaking with you Prince Edward. I look forward to our wedding at the end of the month.” 

He doesn’t stay to see what reaction his words gets but he hears someone choking on their wine. Edward yells something at him but he is too far away to properly hear what he’s said. For the rest of the night Ling watches the other Prince from afar but his smile never falters.


	2. 3...2...1...Fight!

Edward hated everything in that moment. Most of the time he actively tried not to think about the fact that he was down a couple limbs. Over the months since he lost them he’d managed to adapt to most things. He could even put his hair in a ponytail by himself now! It was generally sloppy and tended to be aligned toward the left of his head rather than the center but it worked! If anything it had gotten him out of having to do things like learning to dance. 

However, one of the things it had taken from him that he actually enjoyed was fighting. Sparring with Izumi and Al had been the highlight of his day most of the time. Now it was mostly torture. 

“What are you going to do when you leave Xerxes and Alphonse isn’t here to pick up your slack, Edward,” Izumi yelled at him, looking down from where he was uselessly lying on his back. 

“I can always use Alchemy! It’s not like I’m helpless or anything,” he shouted back, only to let out a yelp of pain when her sandaled foot crushed his wrist into the sand of the training grounds. “HEY!” 

“You can’t use Alchemy for everything,” his teacher said, leaning forward so she could look down at him. Edward’s hand had been laying by his ear when she stepped on it and he could feel the bones grind together under her foot. “Well? Are you just going to let me step on you like you're a little worm?” 

With a cry of frustration, Edward curled his hips over his head and kicked at Izumi’s stomach. She was able to avoid the blow but it forced her to let go of his hand. Rolling onto his side the Prince scrambled onto his hand and knee and launched himself forward. Frustration and a little bit of shame burned in his stomach as he made an awkward shuffle for the crutch that Izumi had kicked out from under his arm when he first showed up to watch her and Alphonse spar.

Just as Edward managed to grab the crutch his teacher was back on him. Kicking him in the side and sending him rolling back onto his back. At least this time he managed to keep a hold of the crutch and was quickly scrambling back onto his one foot. Izumi let him, watching as the blonde scrambled up, panting and red-faced as he clung to the only thing he had to keep him on his feet.

“Teacher stop! Please,” Alphonse said, rushing from the sidelines and coming to stand by his brother. He didn't’ touch him but the way his hands hovered made it clear that he wanted to. “This isn’t fair!”

“Life isn’t fair, Prince Alphonse. What will your brother do if the person he marries isn’t as kind to him when they arrive back in their homeland as they are when they’re here in Xerxes? They have automail in Amestris and Xing but what if the person he marries likes how vulnerable Edward is like this and make efforts to keep him from obtaining it,” Izumi asked angrily, crossing her arms over her chest. Edward’s eyes were downcast and he scowled at the ground under their feet. 

“Don’t you think I’ve thought of that?! Don’t you think I’m… scared,” the Prince said, squeezing his eyes shut and shouting at the ground rather than at his teacher or brother. “I know all these things are a possibility but I can’t.. I can’t fight like this! My country needs me to do this and I will because I love Xerxes and I love the people here. My home is here. But I’m terrified because I can’t do anything with this stupid, broken body!” 

“Brother…” Alphonse started, trying to place his hand on Edward’s shoulder only for the boy to jerk away. 

“Shut up, Al! I’m not sorry for it! I wouldn’t do anything different. I’d have given anything to save you, especially since I couldn’t save mom,” the young Prince turned his face into his shoulder and rubbed at his cheek with the light linen of his training clothes. “But I am angry at our uncle. Mom, and all those people, my arm and leg, all of it is his fault! All their blood is on his. He is the reason I’m so fucking helpless and I hate him!” 

Edward had been so absorbed in his anger and frustration that he didn’t even notice Izumi until she was there, dragging him into a firm and unyielding hug. He struggled for a moment, squirming as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pressed his head into her breast. It wasn’t long before his struggles stopped and he hugged her back, letting his crutch hit the sand with a soft thump. He wanted to cry. At that moment nothing seemed more appealing than pressing his face into her chest and sobbing like a child but he stoutly refused to let the tears fall. 

“You are vulnerable like this Edward but you don’t have to be helpless,” Izumi said, her voice firm but kind. She lowered her cheek to the top of his head and reached out to pull Alphonse into the hug as well. “You boys know I can’t have children and I have loved you both as my own since I started teaching you how to defend yourselves. That’s why I push you so hard, Edward. I’ll never be your mother but you two will always be my boys and I want you to be safe when I can’t be there to help you, when you two can’t be there to help each other.” 

Alphonse let his tears flow freely, nuzzling his face into the side of his brother’s head. Edward amended his earlier resolved not to cry and decided that he just wouldn’t do it so loudly that anyone could hear. He nudged his face into the older woman’s neck and let the collar of her shirt dry his face. 

“We love you too, teacher,” he said quietly, squeezing the woman tightly with his remaining arm. “And you’re right. You’ll never replace our mother. No one could. But you raised us right along beside her. You and Miss Riza, you were like second mothers to us and I don’t know what we would have done if you two hadn’t been there for us after we lost mom,” Edward said, voice thick as he tried to keep the sound of his crying to himself. He could feel Al nodding vigorously against his head, letting out a gasping little sob. 

“I’m glad you feel that way, Edward,” Izumi said, leaving the title off his name. “Because that means that you won’t hate me too much for this.” Edward didn’t even have time to ask what she meant before shoving the boy away and watching as he fell onto his back again. The arm she’d had around Alphonse’s shoulders had tightened around his neck, putting him in a headlock so he wouldn’t help his big brother back up. “Find your way back home! I expect to see you back before supper!” She dragged Alphonse with her as she turned to leave, pausing only to get her foot under Edward’s crutch so she could kick it up and snatch it out of the air. “You’ll thank me later! And no using alchemy” she called over her shoulder, though it could barely be heard over Ed’s angered shouting. 

“NEVER MIND! I LIED! YOU’RE AN EVIL OLD WITCH,” he cried after her, making the older woman laugh. 

Letting out a loud groan, Edward lifted his head just enough to thump it back down into the sand. He couldn't exactly say he was surprised at his teacher’s tactic. This was the woman who had walked them out into the desert and left them there to survive on their own for a month when they were kids. He had been pretty sure that someone had been keeping an eye on them the whole time but still, whoever it was lent them no help at the time. The fact that he wasn’t surprised didn’t dampen his irritation toward the situation, though. 

 

Sighing, the Prince didn’t make any move to get up of the ground. He simply draped his arm over his eyes and laid in the sand, thinking about how he was going to get back to the palace. If he was lucky he could find someone who Izumi hadn’t told not to help him, though he doubted he would be so lucky. Just as he was getting ready to roll over and start trying to find something to drag himself up with he heard a voice that was becoming irritatingly familiar. 

“Well what do we have here,” Ling asked as he crouched down at the crown of Edward’s head and leaned over his face to look at him. “You know I think this is a good look on you, Prince Edward.” 

“What’s that supposed to mean, Prince Ling,” Edward asked with a scowl. He dearly wished he had another arm so he could cross his arms over his chest. Or better yet, another leg so he could get up and fucking leave. 

“Just that I look forward to seeing you on your back a lot more once we’re married,” Ling said, grinning even as he had to lean back out of range of Edward’s hand when it came swinging toward his face. “Now what was that for?”

“You! You, you, you arrogant pervert,” Edward snapped, his cheeks flushed with irritation. It wasn’t even so much what Ling said that made him angry, just the way he felt when he said it. Usually Ed covered his feelings of embarrassment with fits of anger. The problem was Ling seemed to realize that because all he did was smile while Edward rolled onto his hand and knee. “Who do you think you are just saying stuff like that!” 

“Your future husband? You know I really don’t know why you’re getting so worked up. Isn’t it normal for engaged couples to flirt with each other?” 

“You aren’t my future husband! I have not said that I was going to marry you yet!” Once again the Xingese Prince found himself dodging Edward’s fist but this time it was by leaning to the side and then forward so that he could catch the other man by the shoulders before he fell face-first into the dirt. 

“Careful there,” Ling cooed, sliding his arm under Ed’s so he could pull him up on his feet or foot, as it were. He expected the other Prince to maybe take another swing at him as he pulled the shorter man closer to make sure he didn’t fall but he seemed frozen and stared at him with an almost horrified look. “What’s wrong? You really weren’t that upset were you?” 

Ling’s gaze searched the blonde’s face before dropping down to where his hand was still resting on Ed’s shoulder, his right shoulder. 

Oh. 

Edward felt Ling stiffen against him as well and pursed his lips, eyes dropping to the other Prince’s throat. He hadn’t bothered with the swath of cloth that usually wrapped around his empty shoulder and hid the scar where his arm had been. So when Ling had grabbed him to help hold him up the Prince’s hand had landed on the bare flesh there. No one had touched him there save for his family and the Rockbells when they had been healing him. 

There was a pearly pink scar over the empty socket of his shoulder and Ling’s hands felt huge and warm over it. Edward could feel callouses on the Prince’s fingers and palm. For a moment he just couldn’t move, stuck staring at the taller man’s throat and watching as his adam’s apple worked when he swallowed. It felt eerily like being in the gate, a million thoughts rushing through his mind and none of them sticking for more than a fraction of a second before the others came barreling through. The most repeated was that Ling probably found the feel of his empty shoulder disgusting. And then his hands moved, fingers trailing over the soft, pink scar tissue.

It didn’t hurt. In fact if anything it sent a pleasant, tickling sort of tingle down Edward’s side. His reaction was to jerk away, choking on a high pitched, panicky noise. He would have fallen if Ling hadn’t grabbed his arm. The grip on his elbow was firm but not painful and for once the cocky little smirk ever present on Ling’s face was gone. 

“I’m sorry, Edward. That was too forward of me. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable,” he said with a quiet slowness. “I won’t touch you there again but let me help you back to the palace. Please.” 

Edward took a breath, not looking at Ling, though he did seem a bit calmer. 

“What makes you think we’re so close that you can just call me by my name,” Edward said after a moment, his tone playful despite the thready quality. Ling said nothing, and Edward turned to give him a somewhat forced smile. “Well come on then. Help me back. Better if you do anyway. I wouldn’t want that dude Kimblee to find me like this. Dude’s creepy.” 

“Aaah I’m so sorry, Prince Edward. Let us go! I will be happy to escort you back to the palace and protect you from any unsavory individuals we happen to bump into along the way,” Ling said happily, pulling Edward close again and throwing the shorter man’s arm over his shoulder. This time he was careful to keep his hand resting on the blonde’s waist.


	3. Nina

“What a curious creature. What is it?” 

There he is again. 

Ling Yao, 12th in line for the throne of Xing. 

There had been so many candidates from the country that Edward usually spent times with them in groups, talking to as many people as he could in a day and trying to get a feel for them. Unfortunately few of them have been able to really imprint themselves on the young Prince’s mind. There is one girl from the 25th clan who his sweet and shy. One of the gifts she’d brought to Edward from Xing was a book of pressed flowers and herbs with hand written descriptions of what each one meant or what it could be used for. She admitted to having made it herself and Edward found it quite endearing and fascinating. He had always loved to learn, hoarding scrolls and books like a dragon hoards gold. Having something to help him learn about what would possibly be his new home was well received. 

Then there was another woman in the 7th clan that made his skin crawl. She likes to talk about alchemy’s uses in erasing the wrinkles she is so sure were forming around her eyes and making her jewelry. She seems every inch the vapid, self absorbed princess she probably is but there is something about her. It makes him think that there was something even worse hiding under the surface. He doesn’t very much feel like he could trust her with Alchemy. 

Xao Yin first in line for Xing’s throne has also managed to stick with him, not because he seems malicious and cunning as the woman from the 7th clan, but because he is stunningly dim. Edward has never in his life met someone so stupid in his life. The poor man has tripped into the fountain in the plaza more than once in the past few days and nearly died because each time the fool was too busy flailing to get his feet under him and stand up!

There were others, though none have managed to captivate him like Ling Yao. 

He is a cocky little shit, almost never limits himself to the time he’d been scheduled for, and often seeks Edward out for one on one attention. Of course the Prince is under no illusions that it is anything more than an attempt to get his attention. Ling is probably hoping that spending more time with Ed will give him a chance to get to know him better and maybe give him an edge over the other clans. And as irritating as Ed finds the Xingese Prince, he has to admit it is working at least to some degree. After all, he is one of the few to seek him out on his own time and he is the only one who doesn’t have a flash of disgust cross their face when he sees Nina. 

“She isn’t an it. She’s Nina,” Edward says, lifting his head to look at the young man once again disturbing his peace. He isn’t even going to bother to ask how he managed to get into the inner courtyard inside the Palace. 

Nina’s head turns to him when she hears her name. She’s been running around the courtyard, chasing butterflies and sometimes jumping around as if she’s playing pretend. Most recently she’s been carefully plucking flowers out of their beds with her teeth and bringing them to Edward so that he will make her a flower crown with his alchemy. It is a common occurrence by now but it still makes him tear up a little. 

“I see. Well what is Nina, then,” Ling asks, moving from the column he had been leaning against and coming to straddle the empty side of the bench Edward is sitting on. 

The blonde Prince doesn’t speak immediately and he can feel Ling staring at him, studying his face. Not for the first time, Ed wonders what Ling thinks of his face when he hasn’t been groomed within an inch of his life. His tunic and pants are black and the cloth wrapping around his right side is blue today. There are no rings or bracelets, just the gold, beaded circlet around the crown of his head and the golden band on his arm. When Nina brings back her last pile of flowers she sits in front of the boys and swings her head to look at Ling curiously. 

“Who is this, big brother,” she asks in her odd, two toned voice. 

Edward watches from the corner of his eye as Ling stiffens and his eyes widen in surprise. 

“This is Ling, Nina,” he says with a smile, his voice kind and light. “He’s one of the people from Xing who is trying to marry me.” His tone turns teasing and Nina makes a strange noise that he has come to recognize as a giggle. It reminds him of the sounds coyotes make at night when they yap at the moon. Only it is lower, slower, and much too human. 

“Do you like Ed-ward,” she asks Ling, still unable to say Edward’s name fluidly. 

More importantly she’s moving closer to Ling as she speaks. Her tail wags behind her and she tilts her head up to look at the Xingese Prince. Edward waits for him to move, to flinch away in horror. Most people are unsettled by Nina. Only a few others have seen her outside the royal family and palace staff and even of them there are precious few besides Ed, Al, and Hoenheim that don’t seem disturbed by her. Everyone knows not to say or do anything unkind toward her around Edward, though. Those who don’t learn this quickly. 

There is a beat of silence before Ling reacts and Edward is pleasantly surprised. 

“I think I do, Nina,” Ling replies, voice holding a slight tremor. “He seems like a very kind man and it doesn’t hurt that he’s very pretty.” 

That makes Ed scowl but Nina laughs loudly. Her tail wags a little harder and she swings her head to look at Edward, mouth tugging into something that is almost a smile while her tongue lolls out of her mouth. She doesn’t hesitate to nudge her head into Edward’s thigh, turning her body so that is presses into Ling’s leg, not that she seems to notice. 

“I like him big brother,” she says happily. 

Edward looks up at Ling and hums before touching his hand to his shoulder and pressing his hand to the pile of flowers Nina brought to him. The flower crown appears under his hand in a flash of electricity and he carefully puts it on her head. 

“He’s not so bad,” Ed finally replies, glancing up at Ling. “Why don’t you go play some more? You wanted me to make you a crown so you could be a princess right,” he asks, reminding Nina of the game she’d been playing out in the yard. Without a word, she takes off, too excited to excuse herself. “Nina is a human based chimera,” 

He hadn’t noticed how much he’s tensed up during the whole exchange between the three of them but once Nina was out of earshot he relaxes a little, actually looking at his guest who has become engrossed in watching the chimera. She is running from one end of the courtyard to the other, occasionally jumping to the side and snapping at the air with her teeth. It looks like she was pretending to fight someone. 

“We found her when people started showing up from Amestris. Maybe a week before everyone arrived. Her father…” Edward’s voice fails and he has to swallow a couple times to find it again. “He had transmuted his daughter and their dog.” Ling looks at him sharpy at that. 

“He used alchemy to create her. Can you.. Can you use it to fix her,” Ling asks, frowning deeply when Edward shakes his head. There are tears in the blond’s eyes but he refuses to let them fall. 

“No. If we tried to separate them it would kill her. All we’ve been able to do is make her more comfortable. Before she was in so much pain. Using medicinal alchemy we’ve rearranged some of her bones and insides. It seems to have helped with the pain and she’s happier now. 

“What did you do to her father,” Ling asks in a dark tone that actually makes Ed smile. 

“We chained his hands behind his back and sent him into the desert.”


	4. While You Were Sleeping

Ling had become quite well acquainted with Xerxes’ royal palace during his visit to the desert city. Thanks in no small part to Fu and Lan Fan. He’d made it a habit over the past month to sneak into the palace at every opportunity and visit Prince Edward. Still, with only a few days left until an announcement was to be made, he wasn’t sure if he was the one that the Xerxian Prince would choose. So Ling had decided to risk it all. After tonight Edward would either never want to see him again or he would be almost guaranteed to be the one he chose to wed. 

He had found Edward’s room upon one of his many visits. It was in the easternmost corner of the palace, on the second floor and separated from the outside world by nothing but pillars. That was quite a shock because how horribly unsafe that was. Someone with a modest kill for climbing could probably scale the outside walls of the Palace and find it. After all that was how Ling had stumbled across the room.

The young Prince of Xing had been snooping around, as was his nature, and hadn’t actually known what room he’d ended up in until he had found Edward’s crutch. After slipping between the columns he had ended up first in something of a sitting room. It was decorated with vases, though precious few had flowers. None were professionally arranged, just little bundles with bent stems that were probably gifts from Nina. The walls were covered in intricate, designs that were painted gold and stood out sharply against the dark red walls and there were plush rugs on the floor and a table around which there were pillows for people to sit, though it looked as though it had been a long time since the room received guests. The table was covered in papers with inkwells and pens cast about. 

Most of the papers had held notes and alchemical arrays that Ling hadn’t been able to even begin to understand. Though, there had been a book laid open on the table with a drawing inside of what had to be Nina. When he picked up the book it had creaked with the stiffness of a fresh binding and Ling realized that this was probably something Edward had written himself, notes about Nina and what they had been able to do for her. He wondered if his future fiance had written the book in case there was another case like hers or if he was just trying to keep notes for the sake of it. 

Ling discovered, as he poked through the piles of books and scrolls, that while there were plenty that had been written by others a lot of the ones stacked on the shelves around the room or piled up near the table were filled with Edward’s neat script. He also learned that the Prince was indeed ambidextrous. Most of the books written in his hand tilted in a different direction than the ones he found in stacks around the table. The Xingese Prince felt an irrational swell of pride in his chest. He hadn’t known Edward long enough to love him by any means but he certainly liked him and the fact that the man he intended to marry was such a genius at alchemy made him feel proud. It was a curious sensation. 

After crossing from the first room, one obviously made for entertaining guests, into one separated by an actual wall and a set of glass double doors he discovered that the room where Prince Edward actually slept had only barely been spared the mess of notes and books that had filled the first room. There were still books on every available surface but not as many. Mostly they had been contained to the floor beside what appeared to be the Xerxian Prince’s bed, which, Ling noted was unmade. It appeared to be little more than a raised bed of stone that had been covered in a thick cushion and then topped off with pillows and blankets. The Prince’s crutch was propped up against the wall at its head and there was a window that looked out onto Xerxes. 

Ling was sure that every morning the Xerxian Prince woke drenched in the sun that would shine in from the east. It was that room that he was in now, in the dead of night and there was nothing but the moon and stars to light his way. Just as he remembered the etchings of the red and gold walls loomed over him but all the books and clothes he’d seen strewn about the room before were gone, packed away into the wooden boxes that now dominated the sitting room. All the books and papers had been gone from there too. It had looked sad and empty. 

For a moment Ling actually felt bad that within the week Edward would be borne away to Xing, forced to leave his home. He hoped that Edward would learn to love Xing half as much as he loved Xerxes. The Prince would bear that pain and homesickness, though, because it was for the good of his country. It was one of the things that attracted Ling to him. Prince Edward knew that it meant nothing to be a King or a Prince, someone with power, if they didn’t use that power to better the lives of their people. 

Whether it was sad or not, this union would be for the best. 

That was what Ling told himself as he crossed the quiet, dark room to the Prince’s bed. Edward looked absolutely tiny in the nest of pillows and blankets. He was sprawled out on his back in the middle of his bed, his hair free of it’s usual messy ponytails or braids and falling loose around his head. Even in the night it glowed, though with in the light of the moon it almost looked like silver rather than its typical gold. His hand was tucked under the pillow that cradled his head and Ling let out a silent huff of laughter when he saw that the young man’s shirt had ridden up, baring his stomach to the night air. 

Carefully he sat on the edge of Prince Edward’s bed, pleased that he only moved a bit at the gentle shifting of a new weight being added to the mattress. Staring down at him, Ling couldn’t help but think what it would be like to press against the right side of Edward’s body and feel the soft scarred remains of his shoulder against his chest while he slept. The thought had something warm spreading through Ling’s stomach and he couldn’t resist leaning over Edward to get a closer look at the beautiful man. 

Edward was fine featured, at least in comparison to his father. Their mother’s genes must have softened Alphonse’s face as well but Edward had clearly taken more after her than his father. His nose was narrow and tilted up just the slightest bit at the end. His chin wasn’t pointed exactly, but it wasn’t nearly as square as King Hohenheim's. Then of course there was his mouth and those damnable lips that never failed to draw Ling’s gaze. They weren’t huge but they looked plump and soft. 

Ling had been so caught up in studying the Prince that he almost didn’t react fast enough to stop Edward’s hand when he suddenly sprang to life, swinging a dagger toward his throat. He just barely managed to catch the blonde’s wrist and felt the tip of the blade knick the tender skin under his jaw before he shoved Edward’s hand into the bed. It turned out to be a bad idea as it caused him to lean further over the Xerxian prince. That shortened the distance between Edward’s forehead and Ling’s nose, which meant that the Prince didn’t have to try nearly as hard to headbutt the man intruding in his bed. 

“OUCH! Prince Edward stop! It’s me! It’s Ling,” the young man yelped, reeling away from the blonde and clutching at his now heavily bleeding nose. “I was just dropping by to say hello! Is this how you greet all your guests?” 

“Prince Ling? What the hell,” Edward’s voice was gravely with sleep and Ling thought it awfully inappropriate that he felt a shiver racing up his spine at that sound. Thankfully the knowledge of who exactly had snuck into his room seemed to pacify him because Edward sat up and scooted over the bed so he could light a lantern that sat on the edge of his bed. “What are you doing here?” 

It was adorable when he reached up to rub his hand tiredly over his eyes, mouth set in a pout since his sleep had been disrupted. Ling was at least smart enough to keep that thought to himself, though. 

“I told you I was just coming to say hello,” Ling started with a smile, though his voice sounded stuffy as his nose began to swell. Before he could say anymore however, he was interrupted by the banging of doors being thrown open and the voice of the last person that Ling wanted to see in that moment. 

“BROTHER! I heard shouting, are you alright,” Alphonse called, though he thankfully hadn’t thrown open the glass doors that Ling had taken such precaution to close. 

Looking up, Ling saw that Edward looked just as panicked as he did. Without a word he grabbed a hold of LIng’s shirt and dragged him into the bed. For someone so small he was quite strong. 

“I’m fine, Al! It was just a nightmare,” Edward insisted, pushing Ling to the far side of his bed and urging him to lay down before frantically tossing pillows and blankets over him.Ling hoped that the blonde had been fast enough to hide him because seconds later he heard the doors opening again and Edward huffing in irritation. “I told you i was fine Al. You actually brought a sword with you?” 

“Of course I did Ed! I heard shouting coming from your room! I thought you were being attacked! You said yourself that man from Amestris gave you the creeps! Kimblee or whatever his name is,” Alphonse insisted with annoyance. Ling could feel as the bed shifted under the younger Prince’s weight as he sat on the edge of Edward’s bed, possibly right where Ling had been moments ago. “What was your dream about?” 

“Mom,” Ed started after a beat of silence. “And you, and dad, Winry, Teacher, Miss RIza, Nina.. everyone. It was about me losing you and everyone else.” He laughed quietly and Ling wished he could see the somber Prince’s face. “I’m announcing my choice tomorrow and then by the end of the week I’ll be gone.” His voice was soft and a little scared, or at least Ling thought so. “I never thought I’d sit on the throne. I’m not the best with people a lot of the time,” he admitted and Alphonse snorted. 

“You’re not all that bad, Brother. You’re good with kids ah… most of the time… and you’re usually polite to people unless they annoy you,” Alphonse insisted, always trying to see the best in his big brother. Still, Edward just laughed. 

“Yeah well lots of people annoy me. You and I both know I wouldn’t taken very well to being King, Al. My temper is too short and I’m smart but don’t handle it well when people fight me on things because they can’t see what is crystal clear to me. I would have been happy being your advisor,” Edward said, fondly. There was another shift in the mattress, this time form where the owner of the bed had been sitting. “I just never thought I’d have to leave like this. I thought about traveling, sure. I wanted to see the world and learn everything it had to offer. But now I’m getting married to someone I don’t even really know and just hoping they turn out to actually be a good person!” 

The laugh that came after that statement was a little hysterical and the mattress shifted again. If Ling had to guess, he would say that Al had moved closer to Ed. the Xingese Prince certainly wished he could. Edward sounded so resigned. He didn’t need to be in love to want to soothe the painful edge to the other man’s voice. Ling wanted to assure the man that he had no reason to fear any sort of unkindness from him. He wanted to tell him that even if they didn’t know each other now they could get to. They could learn to care for one another even if they never loved each other. Instead, he was stuck hiding under the blankets like a child scared of thunder while it got harder and harder to breath through the swelling of his nose and the scent of blood. 

“You may not have us with you but you’ll never be alone. We’ll write. I can visit for as long as I’m able. And if the person you choose mistreats you in any way I’ll take on all of Xing to bring you home,” Alphonse’s voice didn’t waver in the slightest as he made those promises. Ling was entirely sure he meant every last word, too. Whether he could fight an entire country single-handedly was debatable but he would try. 

“How did you know that I was going to pick someone from Xing,” Edward squawked, making Alphonse laugh. Under the blankets, Ling’s ears perked. 

“Because Conolel Mustang pisses you off so much that you tried to trip him into the fountain in the Plaza, Kimblee is just creepy, and General Armstrong is both terrifying and has a really weird family. Besides, they’ve made it very clear that they want to get their hands on Alchemy for mostly Militaristic purposes. You wouldn’t give people like them knowledge of Alchemy,” Alphonse explained. Edward’s snort was quiet but audible and Ling was relieved to feel the bed shift, Al’s weight disappearing. “Now if you’re okay, I’m going to bed. And or what it’s worth, if you’re going to pick the person I think you are, I don’t think you have to worry about them being a bad person.” 

“Oh yeah,” Edward hummed, scooting back on the bed and a little closer to Ling. “You’re not going to ask to see if you’re right,” he asked. 

“Nah. Winry and I have a bet going. It won’t be fun if I know before she does. Goodnight!” 

Ling waited until he heard the doors close again before he sprang up from under the blankets. Edward turned from glaring after his brother to look at him and winced when he saw the damage he’d inflicted upon the Xingese Prince. There was blood coating his face from the nose down. In all the chaos Ling had managed to smear some across his cheeks. Thankfully his clothes were dark, better for sneaking around the shadows, and the blood that stained his sleeves and the front of his shirt didn’t show up that badly. 

“I think your bedding is ruined,” Ling said with a smile, his nose still weeping. He hated the thick, coppery taste in his mouth and the stuffy, nasal quality to his voice.

“Just what were you thinking sneaking in here in the middle of the night? What if Al had caught you in here?! He would have kicked your ass all over this palace,” Edward snapped, slapping his hand against his shoulder and then lightly touching it to Ling’s nose. “Or what if someone else had seen you! What would people think!” 

The pain in LIng’s nose eased slightly. The usual snap of electricity that he had come to expect from Edward’s alchemy tickled as it crackled across his skin and he had to fight the urge to flinch back from it. When his hand left his face the bleeding had stopped and the pain was mostly gone. He was glad, too, because it let him laugh without pain. 

“That was amazing! You used alchemy to heal me,” Ling said, reaching up to touch his nose. “ Also, Prince Edward, beautiful as you are, you aren’t a woman. It isn’t as though anyone can say that I’ve put you in a family way and influenced your decision making! Would it really matter what anyone thought,” he asked, smiling as he watched Edward scowl at him while a flush tinted his face pink. 

“Yes! It would still imply that you gave me a reason to favor the candidates from Xing,” Edward snapped as he grabbed his crutch and hauled himself up off the bed, making his way through a doorway on the other side of the room. “And you know, maybe I don’t want people to think I’ve been sleeping around before I actually got married.” 

That made Ling cock his head. He had seen a sink in the small room and was unsurprised when Edward came back to the bed with a damp cloth clenched in his hand. When the Prince dropped back down in the bed he flung it at Ling’s face, an unspoken command to clean himself up. He did so in silence, watching as Edward dropped back into his pillows and yawned. It was like the fire he’d lit had poured the color back into him. His hair was back to its normal gold and his eyes burned brightly as ever. It made the man he’d seen bleached silver by the moon seem like something out of a dream. 

“Edward,” Ling said quietly, standing form the bed and carefully pulling off the blankets. Most all of them had been covered in his blood. There were pillows that had survived, though. “Do you have anything to replace these with,” he asked motioning to the pile of bedding he’d removed.

“Hmm Yeah. In the chest at the foot of the bed. Don’t worry about it, Ling.” Ah, so he had noticed that Ling had dropped his title. “I’ll deal with it just leave. I wasn’t just bullshitting Al earlier. All the suspense will be over tomorrow so just let me sleep,” Edward grunted, his arm thrown over his eyes. He didn’t even bother to sit up and properly shoo Ling out! 

“Nonsense! I did bleed all over your bed. It’s the least I can do,” the Xingese Prince opened the chest at the blonde’s bed and pulled out a couple blankets that he tossed carelessly over the young man in the bed. “Edward can I ask you a question?” 

“Why are you still here,” Ed asked, lifting his arm so he could glare as Ling sat by his hip. Then, when he showed no signs of moving, Edward groaned and propped himself up on his arm. “If i answer your stupid question will you go away?” At Ling’s nod he rolled his eyes and sighed. “Fine. Go on! Ask away!” 

“What you said earlier… Does that mean you’re a virgin,” Ling asked, boldly planting a hand in the vicinity of Edward’s hip and leaning over him a little. He grinned slightly when the blonde flushed and leaned back to try and put a little more distance between them. “You are, aren’t you.” More of a statement than a question. “How on earth did someone who looks like you manage that?” 

“I’ve been busy,” Edward snapped defensively, looking away from the Prince hovering above him. “It’s not like it was hard to find better things to do with my time! Now I’ve answered your question! Get out!” With that the Xerxian Prince drew back his leg and kicked lIng off his bed. 

Ling didn’t mind. He just laughed and got back to his feet. 

“As you wish. Sleep well, Edward. Hopefully this won’t be the last time I get to ruin your bedsheets,” Ling said smugly, narrowly dodging the pillow that was thrown at his back.


	5. Do I Hear Wedding Bells (or is that just my ears ringing)?

“It has been an honor to spend this month getting to know you all and I haven’t made this decision lightly. In three days time I will be marrying Ling Yao of the 12th clan of Xing.” 

Ling had been ecstatic upon hearing the announcement! He did it. He had brought honor to his clan, Alchemy to Xing, and almost assured this place as the future Emperor. It didn’t hurt that he’d actually come to like Edward. The assassination attempts would probably increase once they got back to Xing; no one had dared to try and get away with such treachery in Xerxes. Ling thought it was worth it, though, even if Edward hadn’t exactly looked excited when he announced his choice. 

Ling was sure that he could fix that, given time. 

After the announcement had been made Prince Alphonse came to fetch him. Apparently there were quite a few preparations to be made over the next three days and not a moment to lose. Unfortunately this left Ling unable to sneak around and meet his fiance because by the time he was freed from the clutches of Xerxian wedding planners he was too drained to do anything but collapse into a heap and fall asleep. At least he had finally be given a room within the palace so that he didn’t have to travel very far before finding his bed. 

The days had been filled with measurements being taken for the clothes he’d wear on his wedding day, his hair being put into various different styles to see which best suited him, even makeup being painted on his face. Not to mention the evenings he spent practicing the lines he’d be speaking to Edward when they were wed. The three days had simultaneously been the longest of his life and yet passed by in a blur. His nerves didn’t even stand a chance at catching up to him until he was standing at the alter. Although that may have been in part because rather than a priest it was King Hohenheim looming over him as he waited for Edward to steal the limelight. 

Ling had, like his fiance, been swathed in gold and white. His outfit lacked the cloth that so often wrapped around Edward’s right side, though. Instead he’d been given a white tunic and gold colored linen pants. If not for his hair and eyes, which had been lined with khol, he would have looked like any other Xerxian. His hair had been pulled back into a loose braid and had white and gold beads had been braided into it. They had even gifted him with a circlet of gold to wear on his head like a proper Xerxian Royal and the gem that rested in the center of it was the only thing that wasn’t white. Instead it was red as freshly spilt blood. According to Prince Alphonse, Edward had made it for him, himself. Which was exactly what had started the slow build of nerves. 

Edward had made him something and so far as he had been told that wasn’t customary. Even if the Xerxian Prince wasn’t entirely pleased that he had to be married off like this for the sake of his country he apparently liked Ling enough to make something for him. The words that the fire wielding woman had spoken before, about Edward’s devotion to his country, came back to him. Ling found himself wondering, for the first time, if he was actually worthy of Edward. He was still mulling over that question as he stood in front of his soon to be father in law. Both he and his betrothed were passionately dedicated to their countries. They had the same ideas about how a king was to treat his people. If nothing else he thought that Xing deserved Edward. If the blonde could learn to love Xing even a fraction as much as he loved Xerxes then Ling believed that the young man would be perfect to rule beside him. 

Before he could ponder things further, however, by the sound of instruments coming to life. It started with a low beat of drums and then the high pitched plinking of stringed instruments. The sound was far more fast paced than what one would typically hear at a Xingese affair but it was beautiful and joyous. Children came first, dressed in red and white and giggling as they threw flower petals everywhere. He knew more than a few women in Xing who would have died at the sight of such impropriety at a wedding. Ling found it endearing. After them came a sight that took Ling’s breath away. 

Prince Alphonse was leading the procession, reins in his hand to guide the horse that Edward was sat upon, and there were two women on either side, one with dark hair the other blonde. Then Edward, of course, sitting side-saddle on the back of a small dappled, grey horse. It was really closer to a pony than a horse in Ling’s opinion but that wasn’t what really gripped his attention. The first thing he noticed was that Edward was stunning in his wedding garb but that he also looked more than a little bit sad. 

His eyes stood out against the khol lining them and as before they’d stained his lips red. The central piece of the circlet on his head had been shaped to look like the sun with a red jewel in it that matched Ling’s. Again, he was wrapped in white and gold, the outfit as a whole quite similar to that which he’d been presented to them in on the first night, save for the fact that the gauzy cloth which had been wrapped around his head now trailed behind him, covering the horse’s rump. What really caught Ling’s eye, however, was that Edward’s hair was down.

It hug over his shoulders in loose waves, probably from being kept braided overnight, and where Ling had gold beads woven into his hair, Edward’s were red. As they got closer, Ling could even see that the hair on the left side of his head had been tucked behind his ear. A nervous habit, Ling presumed, seeing as when he and the Prince locked eyes his hand came up so he could drag his fingers through the blonde hair over his ear, making the round, red stone hanging from his lobe sway. 

The sight made Ling’s heart swell, though not nearly as much as Hohenheim’s it would seem. After a quiet sniffling noise, Ling turned his head to find the King crying, which was a bit of a shock. He couldn’t imagine his own father shedding tears at any of his children’s weddings. Hohenheim wept openly, though, the tears cutting down his cheeks in endlessly flowing streams and wetting his beard. Ling must have been staring because the older man looked at him apologetically and lifted a hand to wipe his tears away. 

“You’ll have to forgive this old man, Prince Ling,” He said with a chuckle. “I just wish my wife could be here to give Edward away with Alphonse. An arranged marriage wasn’t in our plans for either of our sons but I hope that with time you two will find a way to be happy with each other,” he said, offering Ling a kind smile. 

It was rather nice compared to the triple set of glares he got when Edward and his wedding party made it to the altar. Ling had never been more happy that a look alone could not kill or else he’d be dead three times over. Each heated stare was a little different but held the same threat: Hurt Edward and you die. 

Swallowing hard, he turned his eyes to his soon to be husband. Much to his surprise the young man slid off the horse on his own and moved to stand opposite of Ling unassisted, though his steps were a bit odd. Glancing down, Ling realized that Edward was wearing a prosthetic leg. It wasn’t automail but it was enough to keep the blonde on his feet, which made the Xingese Prince smile slightly. Even after only knowing him for a month it seemed like a perfectly Edward thing to do, making sure he could stand on his own during his wedding. 

Unfortunately the glare he had actually been hoping to see on the Prince’s face wasn’t there. Instead he looked blank, like he was trying not to feel the moment at all. It as disconcerting. Ling had come to know the blonde to be fiery and an absolute pleasure to antagonize. This dead mask he was wearing just wasn’t doing it for him at all. He would much rather see him angry than like this. 

So of course trying to piss him off a little seemed like the best thing to do. 

“Don’t look so glum, Edward,” he said quietly. “You look beautiful! I’m already imagining how much better your clothes are going to look on the floor,” he teased, making the blonde jerk in surprise, his brows pulled down in an angry little furrow that made Ling snicker. 

Edward’s looked from Ling to his father in a panic before doing a doubletake and staring at the still teary eyed King. The furrow between his brows deepened and he reached up to thump his father in the solar plexus. It wasn’t hard enough to bring him to his knees but he did lean forward and give a wheezing huff, as he tried to get his breath back though. Ling lifted a hand to rub at his own stomach in sympathy. He was going to have to watch out for that. A few people in the crowd even laughed! 

“Stop crying, old man. What is the point of me doing this if you’re going to flood the whole of Xerxes anyway,” Edward hissed into his father’s ear only for Hohenheim to lift his head and smile at his son. 

“You remind me so much of your mother, Edward,” he wheezed, staying hunched over for a few moments more. “Well…. She wouldn’t hit me but she’d tell me to stop crying,” the King said before straightening back up. His son was giving him a confused and slightly sad look. The king looked to the assembled people of Xerxes and smiled. “It has been said that a Xerxian wedding is the best kind of wedding to be invited to. Mostly because the ceremonies are beautiful and blessedly short seeing as we have no gods to observe. Instead, as Alchemists, we live by the rules of Equivalent Exchange. Today we’ve come to bear witness as Edward, Prince of Xerxes and Ling, 12th Prince of Xing pledge themselves to one another. Your words, Edward.” 

“From this day on I promise half my life to you, in exchange for half of yours in return,” Edward began, watching Ling expectantly. When he didn’t say anything in reply the blonde frowned and lifted his hand, circling it in a ‘hurry up’ motion. 

Ling just smiled, his mind a blank. Well not an entire blank. He could remember something about equivalent exchange and alchemy references. He had practiced this for days and now he couldn’t remember a single word. Across from him Edward’s eye twitched and Ling could hear his teeth grinding together. Shit. He’d just have to make something up. 

“There are three stages of alchemy,” he began, reaching out to grab Edward's hand on impulse. “If I remember correctly they are comprehension, deconstruction, and reconstruction; where the deconstructed elements create something new. So it seems to me that it would be more suitable that rather than simply trading half of our lives for each other, we should commit ourselves entirely to becoming something new,” he said, voice growing more fluid as he spoke. Edward looked both infuriated and touched. His cheeks were flushed but the well known scowl of embarrassment was halfhearted at best.

“You can remember that but not the lines we gave you?! All you had to do is agree with me! Tell me you were going to give me half your life too! I swear to god if you were about to go on comparing our relationship to the stages of alchemy I am going to hit y--” 

Ling had cut him off by capturing his mouth in a kiss to quiet the Prince’s ranting. The citizens of Xerxes cheered around them and directly to his left he heard Hohenheim laugh. Not that he really noticed all these noises. He was focused solely on Edward. His lips were soft against Ling’s own and tasted just slightly sweet from the red stain painted there. Then, when ling lightly bit into his lower lip, he felt the Xerxian Prince try to pull away and let him. 

Edward’s face was crimson and the look he gave Ling was entirely different than any he’d seen from the blonde yet. His golden eyes were half lidded and focused somewhere in the vicinity of Ling’s mouth while his reddened bottom lip was caught between his teeth. Ling couldn’t help but smirk, though that seemed to break the spell because Edward’s eyes drifted up to meet his and he narrowed his eyes in a glare. 

Thankfully, Hohenheim spoke before either could say anything to antagonize the other. 

“Xerxian weddings are also flexible,” he laughed, clapping his hands down on either of their shoulders. There had been transmutation circles subtly sewn into the tunics, as well as packets of red dye. When the king touched them electricity sparked under his fingers and the white fabric making up the Princes’ wedding clothes turned red. “You are now Married in the eyes of the King and all of Xerxes.”


	6. Hunger

Edward had ridden a camel before but that was back when he bad both his legs. As everyone was loading the things he would be taking with him to Xing he was frowning at a two humped camel. He supposed that they could just tie him to the saddle to keep him from falling out. It wouldn’t be dignified but it would work. Winry, Lan Fan, and Fu had already mounted their beasts. The girls’ camels were standing close together and Ed noted that Lan Fan was looking at Winry with a slight flush to her face as the blonde leaned in to study her automail more closely. 

He had been surprised to find out that she had automail, though it lifted his heart just a bit. Ever since his marriage to Ling he had been a bundle of nerves. It wasn’t as though he knew the man. Ling just seemed like the best choice considering the situation he was in. From the time he’d spent with him, Edward had discovered that the Xingese Prince was dedicated to his country and also that he seemed to be a good person. At least he was once you got past the cocky, goofy attitude. Still, until he’d seen Lan Fan’s arm, Edward worried that it would all change once they were out of the desert. 

But if he had equipped his bodyguard with automail rather than just finding someone else to do her job, maybe he didn’t need to worry that Ling would keep him from replacing what he’d lost as well. 

“What’s so interesting?” Speak of the Devil. Ling’s arms wound around Edward’s waist and he hunched forward a bit to rest his chin on his shoulder. “Surely you’ve seen camels before.”

“Of course I have you idiot but the last time I rode on I had both my legs,” he pointed out, wishing he could elbow the man behind him. How could he be so easily and openly affectionate when they had only known each other for a month! “Why aren’t you up on one yet? Everyone else is ready to go once all the luggage is settled.” 

For some reason Ling chuckled and turned his head to nudge his ear against the hinge of Edward’s jaw. That was enough to get him squirming away from his new husband with a frown. Honestly, it was ridiculous how affectionate he was. So far as Edward could tell Ling’s desire for affection was as voracious as his appetite. 

“Well because I’m riding with you! You know, to help you stay in the saddle,” Ling replied, as always, with one of those cheeky smiles of his. A lot of the time, Edward wasn’t sure if he wanted to hit the guy or not. 

“I am not a child! I don’t need anyone to hold me on a camel,” the Xerxian prince shouted, glaring daggers at the man he’d married. Not that it had any effect except to make him smile even more. 

“Of course not, my love. But it is the safest option and it would give us time to get to know each other,” Ling said, voice light and cheery. That was annoying enough but what was worse was that he was right. 

Him being right didn’t mean that Edward was ready to stop fighting. 

“Wh-- I’m not your love, Ling! We’ve known each other for a month! Just because we’re married doesn’t mean that you need to be all clingy and say stuff like that all the time,” Edward said, slamming the end of his crutch into the sand since he couldn’t very well stomp his foot without falling over. 

Ling actually had the audacity to pout at him!

 

“Well why not? It’s what married couples do,” he insisted, making Edward groan. 

“Yes. Married people that chose to be married! You are the best thing in a bad situation! Don’t let it go to your head,” he said, turning to limp away and hide from the other Prince until it was time to leave. There was little chance that Ling would change his mind about making him ride with him but he could put that off as long as possible at least. 

Before he can get very far, though, a pair of arms wrap around him again. Of course. 

“Why must you be so cruel to me, Edward! Don’t you think you could at least learn to love me,” Ling whined, clinging more tightly as his new husband started to squirm and try to get away. 

“Let go of me! Why are you like this?! You are a grown man.” They were starting to draw attention from those around them, particularly form Winry and Lan Fan. The girls were watching, eye half lidded and gaze unimpressed. “God I should have chosen Zhu Li! She was nice”

The struggle to escape Ling’s grip ended with both of them toppling into the sand. On their camels both Winry and Lan Fan groaned. How they had ended up with two such ridiculous men as their best friends, they would never know. 

***

“I’m going to kill him.” 

“Killing him would defeat the purpose of having married him in the first place.” 

Winry was right but it didn’t mean that Edward had to like it so he grumbled quietly as his friend helped pull him off the ground. It was the second time he’d ended up tangled up in Ling’s arms and lying in the sand. This time they had fallen off the damned camel. That hurt a lot more than simply falling over because he lost his grip on his crutch. 

Everything had been fine for a while. They had left Xerxes, everyone shouting their farewells and throwing flowers at the couple as they headed into the desert. Even sharing the camel with Ling hadn’t been so bad. For the most part he had kept his hands to himself and not said anything to embarrass him. So long as he kept that up, Edward could very quietly enjoy the ride. It wasn’t so bad after all. He did feel more steady in the saddle with one of Ling’s arms on either side of him and practically sitting in the Prince’s lap was more comfortable than being seated in a hard saddle while being jostled by the camel’s unsteady gait. 

They mostly talked about what Edward would have to look forward to once they got to Xing. Apparently there was an abundance of vegetation there and it wasn’t an odd occurrence to see rain, even snow in some areas. Small, strictly ornamental ponds were common. The idea of being surrounded by so many plants and so much water was appealing, if only because it was new. There was so much he could learn there that he didn’t know, and that was appealing too. It was less appealing that he would probably have to have a Xingese marriage once he got there. Apparently it would be important to have their marriage traditions observed. Thankfully it could wait until he got his autotmail, which Ling was still promising him he could have. 

It wasn’t until maybe a couple hours into their journey that Ling started to whine about wanting food. That request was ignored. Traveling through the desert it was best to be judicious about food. Winry and Edward knew that and Lan Fan and Fu were smart enough to figure it out fairly quickly. Still, despite all Ling’s complaining, Edward hadn't expected him to just pass out and drag him out of the saddle with him when he fell.

“Is he always like this,” Edward asked, throwing his arm over Winry’s shoulders as she tightened her grip on his waist. It just seemed silly to get his crutch when they should be on the move again as soon as they got Ling to his feet. 

“Unfortunately,” Lan Fan answered, frowning as she rolled Ling over and then hauled him up into a sitting position. “To this day we don’t really know if it is just him being dramatic or if he really needs to eat every few hours. I’d rather not dip into our food so soon. It was only luck that had us finding Xerxes not long after we had run out of both food and water,” she said, sounding a bit worried. 

Edward grunted, looking over his shoulder. If he wasn’t missing his arm and leg it wouldn’t be as much of a problem. Izumi and Riza had made sure both he and Al could survive in the desert, at least for a while. Seeing as he was two limbs short that wasn’t an option though. Still he looked to see what was around, if there were signs of life. Maybe he could teach Lan Fan how to hunt a little so they could supplement the food they had. Considering it was the middle of the day there wasn’t much around and Edward wasn’t really surprised by that. Fortunately did see something they could use. Not but a few yards away was a cactus, not surprising considering their location. It grew in flat panels that sprouted off each other and reached for the sun above and topped off with bright purple fruit. Prickly pears to be exact.

“Hey, we can feed him without touching the food,” he said, smiling when Lan Fan gave him a confused look. “There’s prickly pears on that cactus over there. Just have to peel them.” 

She seemed to perk up a little at that, especially when Winry agreed that they were edible. So after settling Edward down next to the fallen Prince the two went to gather the fruit he’d found. It wasn’t as though he could do much to help given his current state anyway. While the girls gathered the prickly pears, Edward took a moment to study his new husband. So far he was unimpressed. The Prince didn’t move an inch, not even when Edward started to prod at his face. It wasn’t until Lan Fan came back with a freshly peeled pear and dangled it in front of Ling’s nose that he jolted up off the ground and snapped it from her fingers with his teeth. 

“Ah! Thank you Lan Fan! I really thought I was going to die this time,” he said just as perky as ever. Edward’s eye twitched as he gathered his legs under himself and sat up properly. “Are there any more of those?” 

Before the woman could give him any more of the fruit, though, Edward reached out and smacked Ling across the back of the head. It seemed to shock everyone into stillness for a moment, save for the Xerxian prince who leaned forward to yell at the other man. 

“You’re a fucking idiot, you know that,” he said, glaring at Ling for a moment before leaning back on his arm and redirecting his gaze toward the camels. “Besides, I’m the one who found the stupid pears,” he grumbled. 

Seconds later Ling had flung himself at Edward, knocking him back down into the sand with the hug he was giving him. Of course the blonde Prince instantly started to try and squirm out of his grip. 

“I knew it! You do care about me,” Ling cried, rubbing his cheek against Edward’s. 

“GET OFF OF ME! THIS IS THE LAST TIME I SAVE YOU FROM DYING IN THE DESERT,” Edward shouted, shoving at Ling desperately. 

Beside them, Lan Fan stared, eyes blank. While the boys continued to struggle with each other, she glanced over at Winry who was watching them with a similar expression. Though when she caught Lan Fan's gaze she just shrugged and rolled her eyes.There was no doubt in either’s mind that someone had made these two morons for each other.


End file.
